United Airlines has announced plans to begin testing Starlink on flights in February and eventually add SpaceX's satellite internet service to its entire fleet. The company first announced a partnership with SpaceX to “set a new standard for onboard connectivity” in September 2024.
After testing, United expects the first commercial flight with Starlink to be on a United Embraer E-175 in the spring. The rest of the airline's “two-cabin regional fleet” will have Starlink installed throughout 2025, and United says it will have the “first Starlink-enabled mainline aircraft in the air” before the end of the year.
Starlink will be available free of charge to all members of United's MileagePlus program. In addition to improving the quality of onboard Wi-Fi, United sees Starlink as an opportunity to “unlock new partnerships” for its members. Don't be surprised if United prepares new deals with streaming services to offer more free in-flight content.
United joins Delta and Hawaiian Airlines in partnering with Starlink for inflight Wi-Fi. SpaceX originally announced its intentions to offer 350Mbps internet speeds to planes in 2022, and both Delta and Haiwaiian Airlines have tested Starlink or committed to offering it on their planes.
Starlink has expanded significantly over the last year. SpaceX was able to test Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite service with T-Mobile during Hurricane Milton's landfall in the US, made plans for a larger beta test of the service for February, and launched a satellite texting service nationally in New Zealand.
